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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Science
Steven Morris

Linguists start compiling first ever complete dictionary of ancient Celtic

A collage of two pictures of ancient stones, carved with inscriptions using the Ogham alphabet.
Inscriptions on stones using the Ogham alphabet – here seen in Ireland (left) and Cornwall – will provide source material for the new Celtic dictionary. Composite: handout

It is not likely to be a hefty volume because the vast majority of the material has been lost in the mists of time. But the remnants of a language spoken in parts of the UK and Ireland 2,000 years ago are being collected for what is being billed as the first complete dictionary of ancient Celtic.

The dictionary will not be huge because relatively few words survive, but experts from Aberystwyth University say they expect they will end up with more than 1,000 words.

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